My masters coach, who used to coach high schoolers, insists that we do (lately all) kick sets with running shoes (all stroke kicks, usually 5 sets of 100 or 2 hundred). I absolutely hate it! I can't feel the water on my feet, I feel like it's way too much effort to make any positive forward movement, and don't see how it will make me a faster swimmer. :bitching: So, am I just a big whiner, or do any of you see any benefit from a masters swimmer swimming with running shoes?
I don't think mental toughness should be a required part of Master's practice.
I have done kick sets with shoes, and I never saw any benefit. It certainly would make me look for another team if the coach thought they should be a regular part of practice.
The thing is that the pool, the location and the time work real with the rest of my life during the week. Not a lot of choices where I live. I practice with another team on Saturday and that coach leads workouts more tailored to master swimmers. I am one of the fastest (probably cause I am one of the youngest), but the coach is able to give attention to every swimmer as they need it. She usually gives us a drill and then a set that will focus on the thing we just practiced in the drill. She also give us aerobic sets and calls me out when I am not giving my best, or when I am doing something that needs correction.
The tennis shoe coach focuses his attention on his faster swimmers (also me, here I am one of the oldest, but I have the most experience). The days that I was protesting the shoe kick and not bringing my shoes, he put me on a rope and I made me do the stroke like that. He has never done that to other swimmers who 'forget' their shoes. Other swimmers comment about how much attention (usually yelling) he gives me and they are glad it is not at them. Both teams have about the same number of swimmers.
I guess I am rebelling, because at this stage of my life, I want to swim for swimming's pleasure. And if I choose to compete, I do it for the pleasure, not to make the olympics (I am older than Dara). The coach wants to train us for 'Worlds', but none of us are that competitive. I will do what the coach says, but being frustrated (by having to swim with shoes) at 5:00 in the morning when I got up to swim to get the 'good feelings' of starting the day by swimming, is making me not have the 'good feelings'.:rant3:
I don't think mental toughness should be a required part of Master's practice.
I have done kick sets with shoes, and I never saw any benefit. It certainly would make me look for another team if the coach thought they should be a regular part of practice.
The thing is that the pool, the location and the time work real with the rest of my life during the week. Not a lot of choices where I live. I practice with another team on Saturday and that coach leads workouts more tailored to master swimmers. I am one of the fastest (probably cause I am one of the youngest), but the coach is able to give attention to every swimmer as they need it. She usually gives us a drill and then a set that will focus on the thing we just practiced in the drill. She also give us aerobic sets and calls me out when I am not giving my best, or when I am doing something that needs correction.
The tennis shoe coach focuses his attention on his faster swimmers (also me, here I am one of the oldest, but I have the most experience). The days that I was protesting the shoe kick and not bringing my shoes, he put me on a rope and I made me do the stroke like that. He has never done that to other swimmers who 'forget' their shoes. Other swimmers comment about how much attention (usually yelling) he gives me and they are glad it is not at them. Both teams have about the same number of swimmers.
I guess I am rebelling, because at this stage of my life, I want to swim for swimming's pleasure. And if I choose to compete, I do it for the pleasure, not to make the olympics (I am older than Dara). The coach wants to train us for 'Worlds', but none of us are that competitive. I will do what the coach says, but being frustrated (by having to swim with shoes) at 5:00 in the morning when I got up to swim to get the 'good feelings' of starting the day by swimming, is making me not have the 'good feelings'.:rant3:
